Introduce a standardized framework for user preferences

[jeremystretch]

NetBox version

v3.0.9

Feature type

Change to existing functionality

Proposed functionality

Introduce a new Python class for representing individual user preferences. This would supplant the current user preferences structure, which is limited in function and offers no real validation mechanism. Currently, only the following preferences are manageable:

• UI color preference (light/dark)
• Page length
• Table columns (per table)

This would likely follow the pattern introduced by the ConfigParam class in v3.1, with each instance declaring a name, default value, and acceptable choices/validation rules.

Use case

This would enable more robust validation around user preferences, and allow more dynamic rendering of the user preferences form. It would also enable us to expose more default values as user-configurable preferences. (See #7702 as an example.)

Database changes

This likely won't require any database changes, as we'll be able to continue using the UserConfig model to store saved user preferences.

External dependencies

No response

[bistraque]

An open question regarding this new user preference framework: could this include some sort of "default" user preference acting as system-wide preference ? this would cover a use case where choices of relevant columns in a table don't match current defaults (in our case no need for interfaces LAG and MTU columns but tags definitely needed).

Regarding design, I would see this as an option for super-users to tick if they wish to force their customized element to be applied globally. For normal users, this should be transparent, i.e. global settings apply iff user settings are undefined.

[jeremystretch]

An open question regarding this new user preference framework: could this include some sort of "default" user preference acting as system-wide preference ?

I plan to support this by exposing a new dynamic configuration parameter named DEFAULT_USER_PREFERENCES. This can be set to a JSON mapping of available preferences to their values. So for example, if you wanted to set the default columns of the sites table for new users, you would do:

DEFAULT_USER_PREFERENCES = {
    "tables": {
        "SiteTable": {
            "columns": ["name", "status", "facility"]
        }
    }
}

Then when a new user is created, these preferences will be set automatically. It probably needs a bit of tweaking still, but that's the general idea.

[bistraque]

A configuration parameter is perfectly fine, as this is not something that needs frequent modification. I would expect this config to be applicable to all users, not only new users (unless the user has a custom configuration for a given table). Looks like a json merge of user prefs and default prefs similar to how config contexts work...

[jeremystretch]

This will only apply to new users. Once a user has modified their preferences, the new preferences will apply.

Sorry I think I misunderstood your comment above. We can reference DEFAULT_USER_PREFERENCES for a default value in cases where a user has not chosen a specific preference. (However any defined preferences will override these defaults.)